Ex-Andhra Speaker booked for diverting House furniture

Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh Police have booked former Assembly Speaker Kodela Siva Prasad Rao and his son for allegedly diverting furniture belonging to the Assembly to unauthorised places.

A case against Siva Prasad Rao and his son Sivarama Krishna was filed at Thullur police station in Guntur district late on Saturday on a complaint filed by M. Eswara Rao, an officer of Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly.

The case was registered under sections 409 (cheating by personation) and 411 (dishonestly receiving stolen property) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Siva Prasada Rao is accused of illegally diverting the furniture belonging to government from Assembly premises to unauthorized places and to a private showroom belonging to Sivaram Krishna.

They were booked two days after Assembly officials searched a motorbike showroom in Guntur. The officials reportedly identified chairs, tables and other furniture belonging to the Assembly.

Rao had earlier admitted that while shifting Assembly furniture and equipment to Amaravati from Hyderabad in 2016, some of it was taken to his office-cum-residence in Sattenapalli.

He said this was done for the safety and maintenance as the furniture could have got spoilt in the temporary Assembly building.

The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader, who was defeated in the last Assembly elections, also claimed that he wrote to Assembly Secretary asking him to take the furniture. He also offered to pay for the furniture.